Electronic target

ABSTRACT

An electronic target has a base, a sensing assembly and a collector. The base has a body and a stand. The base is an electrical target module and has an outer edge and a front surface. The stand is mounted on the outer edge of the body and hold the body vertical. The sensing assembly is formed on the front surface of the body and has a sticky cushion. The collector corresponds to, is mounted on and protrudes from the stand below the sensing assembly. When a pellet strikes the sticky cushion, the sticky cushion momentarily deforms slightly to hold the pellet momentarily and absorb energy of the pellet. After the pellet momentarily sticks to the sticky cushion, it falls into the collector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to an electronic target, and more particularly to an electronic target with a sticky cushion.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional electronic targets for pellet guns are well known. The electronic target records and calculates scores automatically based on pellets impacting the electronic target. However, front surfaces of convention electronic targets are firm and cause the pellets to rebound sharply from the front surfaces. Rebounding pellets easily injure people without appropriate protective equipment around the electronic target, and collecting the pellets for reuse is troublesome.

The present invention provides an electronic target to obviate or mitigate the shortcomings of the conventional electronic targets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an electronic target to absorb energy of pellets striking the target, keep the pellets from rebounding and to collect the spent pellets.

The electronic target has a base, a sensing assembly and a collector. The base has a body and a stand. The base is an electrical target module and has an outer edge and a front surface. The stand is mounted on the outer edge of the body and holds the body vertical. The sensing assembly is formed on the front surface of the body and has a sticky cushion. The collector partially corresponds to the stand and is partially mounted on the stand corresponding to the sensing assembly. When a pellet strikes the sticky cushion, the sticky cushion momentarily deforms slightly to hold the pellet momentarily and absorb energy of the pellet. After the pellet momentarily sticks to the sticky cushion, it falls into the collector.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic target in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially exploded bottom, rear perspective view of the electronic target in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the electronic target in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, partially exploded perspective view of an inner and outer electrode layer and a spacing frame of the target in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged operational cross-sectional side view of the electronic target in FIG. 1 with a pellet impacting the target.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1, an electronic target in accordance with the present invention comprises a base (10), a sensing assembly (20) and an optional collector (30).

The base (10) has a body (12) and an optional stand (14). The body (12) is an electrical target module, may be a disk-shaped panel, a rectangular panel or the like, and has an outer edge and a front surface. The stand (14) is mounted on the outer edge of the body (12) and holds the body (12) vertical.

With further reference to FIG. 3, the sensing assembly (20) corresponds to the body (12), is mounted on the front surface of the body (12) and has an inner electrode layer (22), an outer electrode layer (24), an optional spacing frame (23), an optional pattern layer (25) and a sticky cushion (26).

With further reference to FIG. 4, the inner electrode layer (22) has an inner substrate (222) and an inner segmented electrode (224). The inner substrate (222) corresponds to the body (12) and is mounted on the front surface of the body (12). The inner segmented electrode (224) is electronically connected to the body (12), is formed on the inner substrate (222) and has multiple conductive sections isolated from each other and electronically connected to the body (12) independently. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the conductive sections are rings formed concentrically around a circle.

The outer electrode layer (24) corresponds to the inner electrode layer (22) and has a front surface, an outer substrate (242) and an outer segmented electrode (244). The outer substrate (242) is a flexible sheet, may be polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP) and the like and is separated from the inner segmented electrode (224) by a narrow gap. The outer segmented electrode (244) is electronically connected to the body (12), is formed on the outer substrate (242), corresponds to and faces the inner segmented electrode (224), is separated from the inner segmented electrode (224) by a gap and has multiple conductive sections corresponding to the conductive sections of the inner segmented electrode (224). With further reference to FIG. 5, a pellet (50) striking the electronic target causes the outer electrode layer (24) to momentarily deformed and one of the conductive section of the outer electrode layer (24) is electronically shorted to the corresponded conductive section of the inner segmented electrode (224) so that the body (12) counts scores according to the shorted conductive sections.

The spacing frame (23) may be a cobweb-like sheet, corresponds to the inner electrode layer (22) and is mounted between the inner electrode layer (22) and the outer electrode layer (24).

The sticky cushion (26) is a flexible, soft, sticky and cushioning sheet, may be translucent, may be thermal plastic rubber, corresponds to and is mounted on the front surface of the outer electrode layer (24).

The pattern layer (25) corresponds to and is mounted between the outer electrode layer (24) and the sticky cushion (26), is a flexible sheet and has a pattern corresponding to the conductive sections of the inner and outer segmented electrodes (224, 244). In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pattern layer (25) is a PET film with a pattern corresponding to the inner and outer segmented electrodes (224, 244).

With further reference to FIGS. 2 and 5, the collector (30) is a tray, corresponds to, is mounted on and protrudes from the stand (14) below the sensing assembly (20) and catches pellets (50) that drop from the sticky cushion (26).

With reference to FIG. 5, when a pellet (50) strikes the sticky cushion (26), the sticky cushion (26) is partially distorted to partially mounts the pellet (50) and to absorb impact force from the pellet (50), then the outer segmented electrodes (244) is pressed to be electronically shorted with the inner segmented electrodes (224). After, the pellet (50) is adhered on the sticky cushion (26) because of a surface of the pellet (50) is sucked after the sticky cushion (26) returns to the original shape. Finally, the pellet (50) on the sticky cushion (26) is gradually rolling down toward the collector (30), which obviate the shortcomings of the conventional electronic targets.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. An electronic target comprising a base having a body being a electrical target module and having an outer edge; and a front surface; and a sensing assembly corresponding to the body, being mounted on the front surface of the body, and having an inner electrode layer having an inner substrate corresponding to the body and being mounted on the front surface of the body; and an inner segmented electrode being electrically connected to the body, being formed on the inner substrate and having multiple conductive sections isolated from each other and electronically connected to the body independently; an outer electrode layer corresponding to the inner electrode layer and having an outer substrate being a flexible sheet and being separated from the inner segmented electrode by a narrow gap; and an outer segmented electrode being electronically connected to the body, being formed on the outer substrate, corresponding to and facing the inner segmented electrode on the inner substrate, being separated from the inner segmented electrode by a gap and having multiple conductive sections corresponding to the conductive sections of the inner segmented electrode; and a sticky cushion being a flexible, soft, sticky and cushioning sheet being mounted on the front surface of the outer electrode layer.
 2. The electronic target as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base further has a stand being mounted on the outer edge of the body and holding the body vertical.
 3. The electronic target as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing assembly further has a pattern layer corresponding to and being formed between the outer electrode layer and the sticky cushion, being a flexible sheet and having a pattern corresponding to the conductive sections of the inner and outer segmented electrodes.
 4. The electronic target as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing assembly further has a spacing frame corresponding to and being mounted between the inner electrode layer and the outer electrode layer.
 5. The electronic target as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sensing assembly further has a pattern layer corresponding to and being mounted between the outer electrode layer and the sticky cushion, being a flexible sheet and having a pattern corresponding to the conductive sections of the inner and outer segmented electrode; and the sticky cushion is a thermal plastic rubber sheet.
 6. The electronic target as claimed in claim 4, wherein the spacing frame is a cobweb-like sheet.
 7. The electronic target as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sensing assembly further has a spacing frame corresponding to and being mounted between the inner electrode layer and the outer electrode layer.
 8. The electronic target as claimed in claim 5, wherein the conductive sections are rings formed concentrically around a circle.
 9. The electronic target as claimed in claim 5, wherein the electronic target further has a collector being a tray, corresponding to being mounted on and protruding from the stand below the sensing assembly.
 10. The electronic target as claimed in claim 7, wherein the spacing frame is a cobweb-like sheet. 